Today we’d like to introduce you to Cristina Trette.
Hi Cristina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I suppose my story begins back when I was a middle school student at a school in San Diego. We had an awesome school psychologist, and from what I could tell, she loved her job. She taught us about healthy communication, stress reduction, and coping skills. She was also available to students that wanted to come into her office and share about life, friends, family, and school. I got to experience the benefit of opening up to a trusted and safe adult who heard and understood me. I found so much value in self-learning and growth I decided as an eighth grader that I would become a school psychologist.
Yet, my path to a career in counseling was not at all linear. I had various job pursuits on my way to becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Owner of Integrative Family Therapy. This includes working as a surf instructor, camp counselor, massage therapist, and preschool teacher.
When I finally made the decision to study Marital and Family Therapy at The University of San Diego, I had three children and a small parent education and coaching practice. I did counseling in several settings prior to starting my own practice; a school, a holistic recovery program, and yoga studio. Eventually, I launched Integrative Family Therapy and brought on other therapists to work with me. I still do couple and family therapy, yet my main focus is on running the practice.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has been a hard, winding, beautiful, exhausting, meaningful, and fulfilling road! I would say the first big challenge I overcame was accepting with grace that my early career pursuits that did not work out for me. I had to learn the difference between quitting versus making a decision to take action toward creating the life I wanted. The next big challenge I overcame was staying the course through graduate school. I was in my thirties, with three small children, and went through a divorce when I was still in school. As challenging as it was, it brought the material to life for me and cemented the reasons why children, couples, and families benefit from excellent relational psychotherapy. Currently, I would say my biggest challenge is shifting away from primarily being a psychotherapist to being a business owner. The two positions require different skill sets and I am learning as I go.
As you know, we’re big fans of Integrative Family Therapy. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Integrative Family Therapy offers a relational and holistic approach to psychotherapy for couples, individuals, and families. We are most widely known for offering couple and family therapy, yet we also see individual adults and adolescents for anxiety, depression, life transitions, loss, and relationship challenges. Our therapists are trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy. We guide our clients to engage in deep exploration of their inner lives and connect with the people and experiences that are important to them. Our office is based in Cardiff, California and we provide virtual counseling for clients located all over the State of California.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love San Diego and have lived here for most of my life.
My favorite parts of our city are the beaches, bays, and trails. I also love that there are so many different neighborhoods and pockets within the city that have their own unique culture. I appreciate that there seem to be endless events to attend or activities to do that keep my kids and I out and about. Growing up here, I have soaked up all that San Diego has to offer from surfing, sailing, rollerblading the boardwalk, fun nights out, great restaurants, and seeking out various paths to run on.
I would say my least favorite part of our city is how expensive it has become to live here!
Contact Info:
- Email: cristina@integrativefamilytherapy.com
- Website: www.integrativefamilytherapy.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/integrativefamilytherapy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/integrativefamilytherapy
